The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-01-30
With a Glimpse Into the His
tory of the Past.
GOVERNMENT AND MORMONs.
Before Man Made Us Citizens. Great
Nature Made us Men,"-Stand-
ing the Test.
To the Editor of THE HERALD

teAhoAOSolu! IL q SduulO d1u uADAoSOO
mind, it would seem not, if the action oil
Congress, aided by an avaricious crew
in Utah, and portion of the outside
press are to be given literal interpre
tation. 1t appears that the history of
the past is an insufficient guide to those
assumed monarchs of the souls of men
in the duties assigned them. Under the
Constitution, precedent goes for naught
and well might we arraign them under
the head of those whom Shakespeare
denominated as,
Drest In a little brief authority,
Most ignorant of what he's most assur'd,
Plays such fantastic tricks before high
heaven,
AS make the angels weep.
But assuming that all history is writ
ten for the benefit of man, and to profit
Withal, let US in the light of the past,
see how long our own country is likely
to maintain her honor at home and
abroad, by her recent action in dealing
with the Vexed Mormon question.
Let US disqu'et and bring up the awful
shadows of empires buried long ago, and
learn lesson from the tomb. Assyria,
Nineveh and Babylon were hurled
down from their lofty sphere, by their
own misrule and injustice. Mighty
Persia suffered like fate because of her
misdeeds and tyranny over her people.
Greece, with all her art, philosophy
and greatness came to ruin because she
scorned the law of God, Vanished and
| imprisoned wise, just men. She loved
the loneliness of thought and treasured
that in more than Parian speech, but
! her misrule, her injustice and utter dis
regard for principle brought her low in
the dust. How singular that Rome, that
once mighty empire and master of the
world, should now be pile of ruined
greatness. For her great Law Book is
prefaced by these words, Justice is the
unchanged and everlasting will to give
each man his rights" Had they
maintained that law and sought to deal
out even-handed justice to all classes OF
her citizens all might have been we'll.
But no! like those, to whom are
entrusted the sacred obligation of franz
ing and executing our own laws, they
arrogated to themselves the right to
enact special laws against the peace and
prosperity of one class of her citizens,
while other classes, among whom can be
found greater evils, were left untram-
meled and in full possession of all their
rights claimed under the law. The breath
OF poison and vituperation Without
measure is the weapon used IN their
mad career to suppress a supposed evil
The sacred Constitution of our country,
which guarantees to It's citizens the pre- |
cious boon of life, liberty aud the pur-
suit of happiness, are disregarded and |
treated as though they had never found |
place in that heaven-inspired docu- |
ment. The right to worship Almighty |
God according to the dictates of our
own consclences is no longer tolerated |
and must be suppressed by e1 post facto |
law and bills of all order Have our |
lawmakers ever read, or If so, have |
they forgotten the able and eloquent |
speeches made by some of Americas |
brightest and most worthy statesmen |
on the question of religious test-oaths |
aud spiritual intolerance? If such is the !
case let refer US to few of them ,remem- |
bering that these men were not seeking |
any personal or selfish ENDS, but were |
faithful devotees to the cause of liberty |
in its broadest-sense in all the land. In !
those days political preferment came by |
virtue OF q mans integrity to truth, |
liberty and the rights of man, but alas |
how far have we wandered in bye and |
forbidden paths since then!
Rev. Mr.. BachuS, of Mass. on religious |
test, says Many seems much concerned |
about the religious test, but nothing is |
more evident, both in reason and the !
Holy Scriptures, than that religion is |
ever a matter between God and indi- |
viduals, and that, therefore, no man or
body of men can impose any religious |
test without invading the essential pre-
negatives of our Lord and Savior Jesus |
Christ. Ministers first assumed this /
power under the Christian name, and |
then Constantine approved of the prac-
tlce OF Christianity as an engine of State
policy, and let the history of ali nations
be searched from that day to this, and
it will appear that the imposing of
religious tests has been the greatest
engine of tyranny in the world"
OhYeS Wolcot. of Connecticut. on the
same subject, did not believe that the
American nation would ever be disposed
to establish such precedent; but, said
ne: NOT knowing what might take
place hereafter, did not think it i'm.
proper to add clause IN the Constitu-
ton which would secure Us from the
possibility of such oppression"
Mr.. Madison said that the Govern
ment should have no jurisdiction in the
matter.
Mr.. Ireden, of North CsroIina was
equally just and logical on this point.
for, said he, under the color of reliei-
Gus tests the utmost cruelties have been
exercised. Those in power have geper-
ally considered sill wisdom conferred in
themselves, that they alone had the
right to dictate to the rest of mankind
and that all opposition to their tenets
was profane and impious." Such vonId
seen to be the position of those arrayed
against Utah and her people. They
seem to forget the fact that a man NAV
be of q religious sentiment Differing
from theirs and still be good member
Of society, and TO show to the world
tt ct they are the narroE-minded men
shat they are. utterly disregarding the
above facts by forcing 81, 1000 people into
their mode Of thinking, by establishing
test oaths, and bills of attain
der. o, shamei Would that. for the
honor aud good name of America
abroad this dastardly piece of Iegisla-
ion could be confined within the
borders of our own land. for our institu-
ions are too great and our name too
much honored and respected for the